"Ganis, are you now a believer of God, or a servant of the people?"
The Archon posed a pointed question. The government had prepared countless plans to deal with Ganis's psychological changes.
The wisdom of the collective ensured that they could handle any situation that arose—so long as it fell within the scope of their knowledge.
"I am both a servant of the people and a believer of God." Ganis was neither servile nor overbearing as he revealed his stance for the first time.
The Archon was fairly satisfied. At least it was not the worst outcome.
Transcendent Power was formidable—so formidable that even sitting across from Ganis made him feel a faint sense of fear.
But Ganis was still not strong enough to contend against the entire Colossus Civilization.
If he had directly answered that he was a believer of God, then what awaited him would have been house arrest and death.
As for deception, he might conceal it for a moment, but not forever. At this very moment, who knew how many experts were evaluating his psychological state frame by frame through high-definition footage.
"I acknowledge God's greatness." The Archon gave a slight nod to show reverence before saying, "But we are mortals. Beneath the gods, there are still different nations. No one can represent God, just as no one can interpret God. That is not blasphemy. It is stupidity."
When dealing with religious believers, rulers could persuade them directly through physical means.
When dealing with religious believers who possessed Transcendent Power, rulers had to persuade them ideologically.
One could call it sophistry, or one could call it the limitation of religion.
In truth, the Colossus Civilization had long been prepared.
A suitable compromise would allow them to gain Transcendent Power while also completing the institutional shift from